Tips to help you recognize a Bad Home Inspector

Like with most professions, you will find qualified and unqualified home inspectors. In some ways, it can be very hard to differentiate a qualified home inspector from the unqualified home inspector, most in part because few states regulate or license home inspectors.
This means any one who really wants to, can print up some business cards and call themselves a home inspector, and go about the practice of collecting fees from unsuspecting customers.

So here are a few ways you can protect yourself from hiring an unqualified inspector:


1. Review a Sample Home Inspection Report
A home inspector should be able to e-mail you a copy of a sample report or have one posted on their website. If it's three or four pages long, this may be a red flag. While lengths of reports may vary, comprehensive reports should average between 20 and 50 pages and contain photographs with a clear description of the defects or problems.

2. Don't Hire Inspectors Who Perform Repairs
Home inspectors are in the business of inspecting homes. It is also against most State or National recognized Standard or Practice and Ethics.

3. Inquire About the Length of Your Home Inspection
To do an adequate job, most home inspections take 2-4 hours, sometimes longer.


4. Ask to Attend the Home Inspection (if you can make it to the inspection)
If your schedule is such that you can't be present during the entire home inspection, you owe it yourself to be there for the last 30 minutes. Let the home inspector walk you through the home to point out defects. Use this opportunity to ask questions about the issues or defects.

Sometimes a home inspector will suggest further evaluation or testing by a qualified contractor. Find out whether the inspector suspects a problem or if the inspector routinely suggests buyers obtain inspections for items the inspector does not generally cover.



5. Ask for Credentials, Experience, and Qualifications

Choose a certified inspector. One of the best known and oldest organizations is the American Society of Home Inspectors. Another
is the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors.

Qualification. Ask friends for referrals. Ask your real estate agent for a recommendation, and then double-check that inspector's qualifications. Some inexperienced agents recommend inferior inspectors because they don't want a full-blown inspection that could blow their deal. Reputable agents demand qualified inspectors because they want their buyer informed.
But most important, find out why the inspector is qualified to perform inspections.

Ask how long the home inspector has been in business. How many inspections they do per year. Are the a full time home inspector.

Look for Insurance.

General Liability protect the inspector and you from accidents or damage to the property.

E&O Insurance. Errors and Omissions insurance supposedly protects you in the event the inspector makes a mistake or is grossly negligent.